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Jon Huntsman 2012 campaign: Inside the 'drama'

A family friend described Huntsman's campaign as disorganized and full of staff tension. |
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On the “inappropriate question,” Fischer said he received a tip that there was a young aide hired by Huntsman who in previous campaigns “had a reputation for preying on young female volunteers.” But Fischer said he brought up the matter only with Wiles and didn’t confront the staffer in question.

As for his efforts to “usurp authority,” Fischer said he only did what Huntsman asked of him. “If my intent was to move rapidly up the ranks, I would’ve asked for a title and a salary,” he said.

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Miller explained Huntsman’s emails to Fischer as the candidate’s attempt to ease his departure from the campaign post.

“Gov. Huntsman was trying to let Dave down gently after literally hundreds of harrassing emails, texts and phone calls. He clearly didn’t anticipate that emails would be used against him. Gov. Huntsman thought the campaign was best able to move forward without Dave. It is abundantly clear that decision was the right one based on his behavior since being terminated.”

A Huntsman official said Fischer’s bitterness is sour grapes over being asked to leave the campaign.

”What Dave Fischer could never come to grips with is that Jon Huntsman trusted John Weaver and others — not him,” said the official. “Having been out of politics for over two decades, he was in over his head. He never had any insight into the campaign’s strategy or finances.”

Tensions within presidential campaigns, especially those struggling to find traction, are common. But the ferocity with which Fischer and others attack Weaver and the extent they went to disclose sensitive internal problems is not merely the stuff of a power struggle. It’s illustrative of a campaign that has been thrown together on the run and is comprised of figures who hadn’t even met the candidate before he returned from China this spring, working alongside those who have known him for much of their adult life.

The problem for Huntsman, of course, is that all this high-decibel public squabbling undercuts his main rationale for winning the GOP nomination — that the former Utah governor offers the level-headed competence and executive experience needed to unseat President Barack Obama. Not only that, but voters might wonder how he’d bring civility to public discourse — another Huntsman promise — if he can’t do the same inside the four walls of his campaign headquarters.

Fischer, 63, has been friends with Huntsman, 51, since the two served as young aides in the Reagan White House. After leaving Reagan in 1985, Fischer went to work for Huntsman’s father, Jon M. Huntsman, Sr., as an executive athis Utah-based chemical company. Fischer subsequently returned to the Washington area and has been out of politics, working in mergers and acquisitions.

Recently, Fischer reached out to POLITICO to discuss his concerns with the campaign — a sort of public intervention. He initially insisted that he be identified in any story only as a “campaign insider.” But after reading a RealClearPolitics story Sunday that featured unnamed Huntsman officials calling him a disruptive force, he was infuriated and agreed to go on the record.

Fischer and other anti-Weaver sources describe a campaign rife with dysfunction and internal squabbles and insist that the chief strategist is at the heart of the problem, saying:

— At least four staffers who left the campaign did so, in part, over clashes with Weaver.

— Weaver tore into staff and volunteers after Huntsman’s disastrous campaign announcement, leveling invective at even some workers who had nothing to do with the candidate’s clumsy launch.

Readers' Comments (105)

I like to get the story on why this very popular govenor of Utah trails Mitt Romney so badly in his own state:

In a hypothetical presidential match-up between the former Utah governor and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 56 percent of Utahans would cast their ballot for Romney and 26 percent would choose Huntsman, according to the Deseret News/KSL poll released Saturday.

Among Republicans, Huntsman's support drops to 15 percent compared with Romney's 72 percent. Utah's GOP primaries are closed to non-Republicans."

I always look at a Presidential campaign as I would an investment. You don't invest if you don't have a decent chance at coming out ahead.

There is no poll now or before he started that said John Huntsman had any chance of becomming President. Newt Gingrich has no chance, Herman Cain never. Michele Bachmann is never going to win.

Every dollar a contributor gives to these people is a dollar what is wasted and could have gone to better use being held onto for now or given to a candidate who polls show has a shot. Right not, the only one is Romney.... as much as I think he can't win the general in 2012.

I would say the same on the Democratic side. Fringe candidates waste party resources and grab media attention from your party's real viable candidates. Waste. Lots of waste.

And Tea Party females wear the sacred SPANX. The magical garment that masks the wearer in an aura of physical youth and strength, an illusion only visible to those of the same selfish and mathematically challenged fringe belief systems, that everything that matters about a person resides on the surface.

I don't know (or care to know) the personalities involved in this campaign soap opera, but a verbally abusive person will not make a good campaign manager nowadays. I don't like Huntsman's strategy (which is Weaver's and Huntsman's responsibility). The retail politicking he's doing is fine, but he needs to cough up $20-30 million of his own money and put his campaign on the map and in American living rooms. (You're super rich, Jon; act like it. Haven't you heard? Money attracts money; big money attracts big money.) Huntsman should be more personally invested, which means he should put his money where his mouth is. Once this happens, he needs to produce a topnotch series of "Hi, I'm Jon Huntsman" political ads for TV, radio, print and the web world to introduce him to the voters in all the pre-Super Tuesday states and to supplement his retail politicking. Why isn't he being booked on choice television shows? That question still hasn't been answered. He needs to get that rectified. Perhaps he wrongly thought there would be some spontaneous national ground swell for his candidacy; he can and should create it himself. I'm also surprised a man who has been born into great wealth and been around it most of his life would not have more wealthy contacts who can bundle for him some very big monies. I wonder if Huntsman is hungry, aggressive and competitive enough to mount a first-class campaign. If not, that's too bad, for I think Jon Huntsman is a first-class guy.

Being Mormon and never having a Mormon in the W.H. would it hurt his chances for President? He sounds much more down to earth than the other republican candidates. Of course they will not support him because he didn't sign the pledge or seem to be a lockstep republican. It's Mitt for the money?

The article does not highlight the fact that Weaver and the Wiles group are total has beens. That the comments by the press guy Miller are total BS , Huntsman needs to get a back bone and set the record straight be a man not a little mouse. GET rid of Weaver he is like a cancer

The article does not highlight the fact that Weaver and the Wiles group are total has beens. That the comments by the press guy Miller are total BS , Huntsman needs to get a back bone and set the record straight be a man not a little mouse. GET rid of Weaver he is like a cancer

Jon is a nice guy. He was a wonderful governor. He would make a very moderate and centrist President. His only problem is that he won't win the nomination. He will likely withdraw before the SC primary, and maybe before the first of January.

And Tea Party females wear the sacred SPANX. The magical garment that masks the wearer in an aura of physical youth and strength, an illusion only visible to those of the same selfish and mathematically challenged fringe belief systems, that everything that matters about a person resides on the surface.

Ahh the "patriot act" supporter is back to lecture on morals.....sad....

7 pages Politico, on your Huntsman? Do you think people at Unis will write Majors on this kind of propaganda?

I really thought this guy may be something for us.....but if he can't handle his own campaign staff , how will he handle Washington politics. No wonder he accepted the job in China......far away and no one looks on his fingers. Besides his red eagle nose shows he is very likely boozing. Another one bites the dust. Looks like Romney will stay the winner.

And Tea Party females wear the sacred SPANX. The magical garment that masks the wearer in an aura of physical youth and strength, an illusion only visible to those of the same selfish and mathematically challenged fringe belief systems, that everything that matters about a person resides on the surface.

What a moron.

First of all and foremost SPANX has never done anything for a female. Only good old fashion sit ups do. And the tea party people know that ... So shows you don't know what the hell you are talking about. Your vicious , stupid statements are directed toward a segment of our population you have no idea about. blah blah blah....

Second : Republicans and Democrats and their specific buddies in the media running the tea party down for one reason and one reason alone, because they feel their corrupted, arrogant, two party system is threatened and they are more then willing to put patriotic Americans down, by calling them terrorists, extremist....biased .....and now according to you they wear Spandex....lololol.....it shows how ridiculous these accusations are.....and how stupid the accusers are who fall for this two partie system that is underhanded and , corrupt from the get go.